VOICE OF LEADERS – FEB 2019

VOICE OF LEADERS – FEB 2019

Modern Woodwork interacts with leaders across the woodworking industry. Some of them are happy about the way Indian furniture industry is shaping up; while some say a lot more precision is required to meet the global standards. Nine leaders on the challenges and opportunities before the Indian furniture industry and on what’s new at Delhiwood 2019.

Biesse India

Mr. Sayeed Ahmed, CEO, Biesse India

India is a country that boasts opportunities for manufacturers in mid-range, upper-mid-range and high-end furniture segments. Biesse, celebrating 50 glorious years of innovation and technology with an irrepressible focus on the future, is committed to the needs of Indian furniture manufacturers.

Q. In less than a decade, India has become the new darling of global markets and is poised to become the third largest consumer economy (after the USA and China) over the next decade. The country’s percentage of super elite households is expected to rise five-fold by 2025. It is evident that India has a huge appetite for furniture. According to you, what needs to be done from the manufacturer’s or supplier’s side to make the most of this opportunity?

A. India, being a country with largely middle-class population, demands for economical modular furniture for residential needs. Hence, it is imperative to standardise the furniture before moving on to the manufacturing stage. The standardisation helps the manufacturer to produce affordable options for the consuming middle-class. At the same time, emphasis should be given on producing quality products which are as good as the imported ones. On the other end, there is an increasing demand for high-end modular furniture. So, it is important to bring in new designs to suit the taste of the HNIs and UHNIs. Technology is available to meet both these demands, affordable as well as high-end furniture. Manufacturers should constantly see to upgrade their technology and processes to deliver better quality and design to their customers. Biesse is committed to serve the growing needs of all kinds of manufacturers, however small or large they be, with the state-of-the-art technology. Look forward to Biesse for a complete manufacturing solution.

Q. Tell our readers more about your participation at Delhiwood 2019 viz. new products, new technologies, new services that you are planning to exhibit.

A. During Delhiwood 2019, in Biesse’s 600 square meters display area, visitors will be able to experience Biesse’s most innovative technologies for wood processing, integrated with and supported by software and services for the automation and digitalization of the factory. Among the new developments on display this year are the latest Biesse machines like – New edge banding series, Skipper 100 – CNC horizontal boring machine for sandwiched panels, Rover A – with 5-axis head with continuous interpolation and a Set-up assistant which offers foolproof work table settings, Rover S FT – Flat table CNC for nesting of panels and the very popular Rover Gold machine with new look and featuring advanced options like the bpad and btouch interface developed by Biesse.
Machines guided by software to manage the various needs and able to carry out the work not only in pre-determined times but also with the same standard of quality. Biesse is, furthermore, proud to demonstrate for its clients all of the features of SOPHIA, Biesse’s IoT platform, created in collaboration with the Accenture consulting firm, which provides its clients access to a wide range of services for simplifying and rationalising the management of their work.

Company Profile:Biesse is the Group’s business unit specialising in the woodworking segment. Since 1969, it has designed, manufactured and marketed a comprehensive range of technologies and solutions for joiners and large furniture, windows, doors and wood building components manufacturers. In recent years, it has also been active in the plastic processing machinery sector, developing ad-hoc solutions for a growing market.

Blum India Pvt. Ltd.

Mr. Herbert Sonnleitner, Managing Director, Blum India Pvt. Ltd.

In India we have outstanding architects and interior designers. Blum and the industry have to ensure that their ideas are delivered in the best quality.Couple this with forward-thinking companies that have reached European technical standards.

Q. In less than a decade, India has become the new darling of global markets and is poised to become the third largest consumer economy (after the USA and China) over the next decade. The country’s percentage of super elite households is expected to rise five-fold by 2025. It is evident that India has a huge appetite for furniture. According to you, what needs to be done from the manufacturer’s or supplier’s side to make the most of this opportunity?

A. For me, the topic to focus on is that the industry has to show its capability to produce and provide exceptional design at highest possible quality levels. In India, we have outstanding architects and interior designers. Blum and the industry have to ensure that their ideas are delivered in the best quality.
Over the past years, many manufacturers have heavily invested in modernizing their equipment. The forward-thinking manufacturing companies have reached European technical standards.Blum provides innovative furniture fittings to all manufacturers and ensures accurate installation. It is the shop owner’s responsibility to bring India’s innovative designs and the new quality standards closer to all their clients.
Top-end customers must want to buy Indian contemporary furniture. Blum will have a strong contribution in achieving this goal.

Q. Tell our readers more about your participation at Delhiwood 2019 viz. new products, new technologies, new services that you are planning to exhibit.

A.Dehliwood is no doubt an amazing platform for all the manufacturers to showcase their products and their skills. Blum has been in the Indian market for more than 15 years and established its own subsidiary in 2016. Currently we are in the process of re-evaluating the industry’s needs to adapt our strategy.
In India, Blum is known for its long soft-closing hinges, exceptional drawers and award-winning lift systems. At Dehliwood, we will bring manufacturers and carpenters closer to Blum’s range of machines, assembly devices and templates. This will be an important contribution to Blum’s philosophy, adding value not just with high quality furniture fittings, but also ensuring precision in installation, ultimately providing excellent furniture for Indian consumers.
I am positive that Blum will be a part of the next edition of Delhiwood.

Company Profile:

Julius Blum GmbH is a family-owned company that operates worldwide, specializing in the manufacture and distribution of furniture fittings. Its main product groups are lift, hinge and drawer systems for furniture, predominantly in kitchens. The company has eight plants in Austria, production sites in Poland, Brazil and the USA and 30 subsidiaries and representative offices around the world.

Häfele South Asia

Mr. Jürgen Wolf, Managing Director, Häfele South Asia

Indian manufacturers need to focus on quality standards and production scales to be able to compete with importer brands as well as the ever-increasing demand for furniture.

Q. In less than a decade, India has become the new darling of global markets and is poised to become the third largest consumer economy (after the USA and China) over the next decade. The country’s percentage of superelite households is expected to rise five-fold by 2025. It is evident that India has a huge appetite for furniture. According to you, what needs to be done from the manufacturer’s or supplier’s side to make the most of this opportunity?

A. Indian manufacturers need to focus on quality standards and production scales to be able to compete with importer brands as well as the ever-increasing demand for furniture. Even today, India lacks good brands that are well known across the country and have the ability to produce modular furniture that meets the quality benchmarks of internationally acclaimed standards. There are some good regional players who are creating good designs but they lack the capacity to service the demands from regions other than their home territories.

Q. Tell our readers more about your participation at Delhiwood 2019 viz. new products, new technologies, new services that you are planning to exhibit.

A. Some new innovations from Häfele are:
1. Digital Door Locks:
Häfele introduces a new perspective to home security with its integrated range of Digital Home Security Solutions. These solutions from Häfele can allow you to control multi-dimensional aspects of home access through a single locking device, as per your specific lifestyle and at the leisure of your convenience.

2. Autotec Sliding System:
To provide you with the experience of independent and safe passage, Häfele brings to you the new Autotec Sliding System which is designed to cater to all your internal sliding partitions/doors. Häfele’s Autotec Sliding System gives your premises a sophisticated and urbane look.

3. Blum Thin Front Fittings by Häfele:
Häfele in partnership with Blum, offers for the very first time, a single fixing system which can enable wall cabinets, doors and pull-outs to have extremely thin fronts – Expando T. The fronts can be as thin as 8 mm and can be made up of any material, such as Dekton by Häfele, chipboard, HPL or ceramics.

4. Nagold’s Azzano Built-in Refrigerator:
Discover the seamless minimalist look and the sophisticated technologies laden into the all new Nagold Azzano Built-in Refrigerators by Häfele, that elevate the look and performance of your kitchen to a whole new level. Catering to the Indian consumption pattern, these refrigerators have a larger dedicated space for storing your fresh meat, fruits, vegetables and herbs in the fridge section as compared to the freezer.

5. Loox Aquasys Mirror:
Beautifully designed, Häfele’s New Aquasys Light Mirror adds value, functionality and style to any interior space. The versatile mirror unites the functions of make-up lighting, room lighting, mood lighting, demister (prevents condensation on the mirror during and after a shower) and sound system in an elegant design.

Company Profile:

Häfele has a successful presence in the architectural and furniture hardware industry for more than 90 years now, with 38 subsidiaries across Europe, America, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Häfele India has, over the last 18 years, acquired a leading position in the Indian Architectural Hardware Industry with an overall product range consisting of more than 1,50,000 articles and 450 dealers across the country. Mr. Jürgen Wolf manages all Business Operations of the Häfele Group in South Asia including India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal.

Dieffenbacher

Dieffenbacher’s decades of experience in tailoring production units to best suit customer needs, delivering excellent service and innovating to continuously improve productivity will help manufacturers make the most of India’s economic strengths.

Q. In less than a decade, India has become the new darling of global markets and is poised to become the third largest consumer economy (after the USA and China) over the next decade. The country’s percentage of super elite households is expected to rise five-fold by 2025. It is evident that India has a huge appetite for furniture. This is one of the prime reasons that the demand for Panel Processing Plants is rising in India. According to you, what are the plans of your esteemed Company to make the most of this opportunity?

A. We are extremely excited about the potential of the furniture industry in India. Dieffenbacher has always been active in the Indian engineered wood panel market. We have been a reliable partner to manufacturers during times of great opportunity and challenge. Our decades of experience in tailoring production units to best suit customer needs, delivering excellent service and innovating to continuously improve productivity will help manufacturers make the most of India’s economic strengths.

Q. Tell our readers more about your participation at Delhiwood 2019 viz. new products, new technologies, new services that you are planning to exhibit.

A. Dieffenbacher’s presence in Delhiwood goes back a long way. Our CPS+, which is the gold standard for continuous press systems, is the centerpiece of our exhibit at Delhiwood 2019. Since its introduction in 2015, the CPS+ is now operating at 10 plants, and more than 20 lines have been sold. The flagship unit demonstrates our commitment to innovation and increased customer productivity. It offers best-in-class thickness tolerance, significant glue savings, excellent board surface and reduced maintenance costs. Its design also enables faster temperature changes during production, accelerated heat transfer onto the mat and increased production speeds. Our exhibit will also feature the FlowOptimizer, our enhanced Z-Sifter and our Management Cockpits.

Company Profile:

Dieffenbacher is a world-leading manufacturer of complete turnkey production lines for wood-based panels, including particleboard, MDF, OSB and LVL board. Companies around the world rely on Dieffenbacher to plan and equip their new manufacturing plants and to modernize their existing plants to improve efficiency. The independent family-owned company employs more than 1,700 associates and has 16 subsidiaries worldwide.

Homag India Pvt. Ltd.

Mr. Govind Assudani, Managing Director, Homag India Pvt. Ltd.

In manufacturing, a measure of excellence is being free from defects, deficiencies and significant variations. It is brought about by strict and consistent commitment to certain standards that achieve uniformity of a product in order to satisfy specific customer or user requirements.

Q. In less than a decade, India has become the new darling of global markets and is poised to become the third largest consumer economy (after the USA and China) over the next decade. The country’s percentage of super elite households is expected to rise five-fold by 2025. It is evident that India has a huge appetite for furniture. According to you, what needs to be done from the manufacturer’s or supplier’s side to make the most of this opportunity?

A. In manufacturing, a measure of excellence is being free from defects, deficiencies and significant variations. It is brought about by strict and consistent commitment to certain standards that achieve uniformity of a product in order to satisfy specific customer or user requirements. Quality is a perceptual, conditional, and somewhat subjective attribute and may be understood differently by different people. Consumers may focus on the specification quality of a product/service, or how it compares to competitors in the marketplace.
Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) is a system for ensuring that products are consistently produced and controlled according to quality standards. It is designed to minimize the risks involved in any pharmaceutical production that cannot be eliminated through testing the final product. All necessary key elements for GMP are provided, including the following: qualified and trained personnel, adequate premises and space, suitable equipment and services, correct materials, containers and labels, approved procedures and instructions, suitable storage and transport.

Q. Tell our readers more about your participation at Delhiwood 2019 viz. new products, new technologies, new services that you are planning to exhibit.

A. A range of new products will be on display at Delhiwood 2019. These include:

2. Panel dividing saw SAWTEQ B-130 : Top quality at the best possible price, the smallest saw in the HOMAG range is equipped as standard with everything you need for cutting single panels and small batches.

3. CNC Machining Centers: Our CNC machining and processing centers for woodworking offer superior technology and individual equipment designed for the production of furniture and components as well as the processing of solid wood and plastics.

The HOMAG Group is the world’s leading provider of integrated solutions for production in the woodworking industry and woodworking shops. Individual customer requirements, sophisticated products, and a wide range of materials – these are all requirements that play a key role in today’s wood processing sector. It is important that production is flexible and efficient, especially in small trades and medium-sized businesses. This is where HOMAG offers you the right partnership. As the world’s leading manufacturer of machines and systems for the wood-processing industry and small trades, HOMAG is a unique system provider.

Jai Industries

Mr. Nirav Shah, Director, Jai Industries

The Indian furniture manufacturers have been able to match the competition from their foreign counterparts on account of the good quality, Indian-make machines priced reasonably to justify the investments.

Q. In less than a decade, India has become the new darling of global markets and is poised to become the third largest consumer economy (after the USA and China) over the next decade. The country’s percentage of super elite households is expected to rise five-fold by 2025. It is evident that India has a huge appetite for furniture. According to you, what needs to be done from the manufacturer’s or supplier’s side to make the most of this opportunity?

A. Indian furniture industry is now growing at good pace and the domestic manufacturers have been successful in overcoming the competition of imported furniture market by consistently supplying good quality furniture at reasonable rates to their customers. This has become possible for them only because, now very good quality reasonably priced Indian make machines are easily available to them. This has reduced their initial investment as well as their service and spares cost / expenses, making their overall project viable and competitive against imported furniture.
Last decade saw a phenomenal change in how the woodwork industry approached the work and growth potential before it. India is not dependent on imports anymore. It has evolved and developed into a self-sustained nation with its skilled manpower and advanced technology.
Modular furniture making, doors-windows-shutters making, interior décor creation and panel-based products manufacturing… everything has become faster, of world-class quality and yet cost effective due to invent and advent of Panel Process Machinery. There is a sea-change in technology and machinery to match it. Conventional methods and machines are getting replaced by new sophisticated ones. Today, it is the era of innovation and technological development and we, at Jai, truly believe in it. Jai is constantly investing in research and innovative development with its state of art manufacturing facilities to cater the demand for quality machines.

Q. Tell our readers more about your participation at Delhiwood 2019 viz. new products, new technologies, new services that you are planning to exhibit. [in approx. 100 words]

Jai Industries was established in 1965 by Late Mr. Niranjan Shah. ‘Spirit of Excellence’ is reflected in everything Jai does. With Seven different manufacturing units producing the widest range of machinery for solid wood-work and panel processing, staff strength of 650 and a total 400,000 sq. ft. of fully equipped manufacturing floor, Jai manufactures a whopping 30,000 machines a year! Approximately 5,00,000 machines with Jai brand has been installed till date.

Siempelkamp

Mr. Samiron Mondal, Managing Director, Siempelkamp

Due to the increased demand for furniture and the unavailability of raw materials for traditional furniture manufacture, an enormous transition towards high-efficient production plants for MDF and particleboard can be observed in India.

Q. In less than a decade, India has become the new darling of global markets and is poised to become the third largest consumer economy (after the USA and China) over the next decade. The country’s percentage of super elite households is expected to rise five-fold by 2025. It is evident that India has a huge appetite for furniture. According to you, what are the plans of your esteemed Company to make the most of this opportunity?

A. Traditionally, the raw material for furniture production has always been sawn timber and to large part plywood. With the recent urbanization in the country, the demand for wood-based material products increased.
Furthermore, the government measures against the deforestation of natural resources have driven wood-based panel manufacturers to fall back on agriculturally-cultivated raw materials such as eucalyptus and poplar.
Due to the increased demand for furniture and the unavailability of raw materials (sawn timber and plywood) for traditional furniture manufacture, an enormous transition towards high-efficient production plants for MDF and particleboard can be observed in India. In urban India, the trend goes towards modular and ready-made furniture. Established Indian manufacturers take part in this trend and build furniture showrooms. These companies rely on efficiently produced MDF and particleboard for furniture manufacture. The strict emission standards in the country also contribute to the growth of the MDF and particleboard industry.

Q. Tell our readers more about your participation at Delhiwood 2019 viz. new products, new technologies, new services that you are planning to exhibit.

A. Siempelkamp, the German machine manufacturer, unveils its technological innovations for the production of MDF and particleboards made of rice straw and other annual plants at Delhiwood 2019. The Siempelkamp Group is at the same time sending a clear signal in favour of green business and efficient management of resources.
A core element of wood-based panel plants is the ContiRoll® continuous press which has been in successful use around the world for many decades in the production of MDF, OSB and particleboards. The ninth generation of the press reaches a speed of 2,500 mm/sec, enabling the achievement of high capacities during the production of thin MDF boards.

Company Profile:

Siempelkamp supplies complete plants to the wood based panel industry (PB, MDF, OSB), single- and multi-daylight presses or continuous press system ContiRoll®, front-end technology, dryers, energy plants and finishing lines with storage, cutting and sanding technology, as well as short-cycle presses for laminating.

Sleek Boards (India)

Mr. Nitin Vaze, CEO, Sleek Boards (India) LLP

India, unfortunately, still reels under the obsession for timber infilled doors. Architects, builders must realize that there are better things to do with timber than wasting such natural resources in infilling of doors. Globally, timber infills have been replaced by engineered infills for manufacturing doors.

In less than a decade, India has become the new darling of global markets and is poised to become the third largest consumer economy (after the USA and China) over the next decade. The country’s percentage of super elite households is expected to rise five-fold by 2025. It is evident that India has a huge appetite for furniture. According to you, what needs to be done from the manufacturer’s or supplier’s side to make the most of this opportunity?

After GST, the organised furniture industry is poised for a vertical takeoff. Now is the time for manufacturers to market their products on quality parameters and create a niche presence aggressively. Due to lack of any BIS specification and performance standards for furniture items quality remains a grey area.The golden rule of 80:20 before GST was Unorganised 80 : Organised 20 manufacturers which should change the other way round like in USA and China to Organised 80: Unorganised 20. With IKEA developing and working with furniture manufacturers in India the mindset of the business is positively set to change for automation, high volumes and with quality benchmark.

Tell our readers more about your participation at Delhiwood 2019 viz. new products, new technologies, new services that you are planning to exhibit.

Sauerland Spanplatte has been a successful ‘Sauerland inside’ for last 65 years now present in over 90 countries and contributing in over 1,00,000 doors being manufactured daily by its customer base. Due to rapid escalation of the demand, the company has a capacity increase of 10% in 2018 and another 10% in 2019. India, unfortunately, still reels under the obsession for timber infilled doors. Architects, builders must realize that there are better things to do with timber than wasting such natural resources in infilling of doors. Globally, timber infills have been replaced by engineered infills for manufacturing residential doors, commercial doors, fire rated doors and sound proof doors. Our customers take pride to display in Delhiwood for wider market spread.

Company Profile:

Sleek Boards is India’s leading marketing company for technologically advanced Wood Panel Products Pan-India having been in business for over 22 years. The company represents specialty products from Germany, Malaysia, Romania, Thailand, Bangladesh etc, catering to all leading furniture manufacturers, door manufacturers and laminators. The company provides end-to-end comprehensive solutions.

Wood-Mizer India

Mr. Bobby Ruban Joseph, Country Manager, Wood-Mizer India

India’s furniture offering must remain low-priced but at higher qualities than the furniture coming from other countries. Plus, Indian designers need to respond more quickly to market demands.

Q. In less than a decade, India has become the new darling of global markets and is poised to become the third largest consumer economy (after the USA and China) over the next decade. The country’s percentage of super elite households is expected to rise five-fold by 2025. It is evident that India has a huge appetite for furniture. According to your opinion, what needs to be done from the manufacturer’s or supplier’s side to make the most of this opportunity?

A. Manufacturers and suppliers need to do their part to streamline and make the whole furniture manufacturing process more efficient. In order to be more attractive to local buyers, India’s furniture offering must remain low-priced but at higher qualities than the furniture coming from other countries. Plus, Indian designers need to respond more quickly to market demands.
By making better use of raw materials with modern sawmilling machinery, and reducing overall wastage with other smartly chosen machinery, Indian furniture can become increasingly attractive from a price and quality perspective on the domestic and global markets.

Q. Tell our readers more about your participation at Delhiwood 2019 viz. new products, new technologies, new services that you are planning to exhibit.

A. Wood-Mizer is very proud to debut our new line of planer/moulders at Delhiwood 2019. The MP360 commercial planer/moulder will be presented. These new products are designed and built in Sweden, and are very versatile due to their flexibility to plane and/or mould on all 4 sides in one pass. Their affordability and ease-of-use make them ideal for medium-sized factories.

For more than 35 years, Wood-Mizer has earned the reputation as the world’s leading manufacturer of portable band sawmills with more than 70,000 bandmills sold in 120 countries around the globe. With branch offices located on five continents and more than 100 authorized distributors worldwide, Wood-Mizer is committed to global customer success with sawmill equipment that will successfully mill any type of wood species from softwoods to extreme hardwoods. Wood-Mizer equips the modern timber processor with smarter products that increase profitability and promote sustainability.

Wood-Mizer is expanding in Asia with a new office in Taiwan and a growing team to match the needs of our customers across Asia. In India, Wood-Mizer now offers a range of planer/moulders for workshops.